University of Kashmir has set up a committee to examine slashing admission fee for B.Sc nursing students who protest against being charging exorbitantly.

Earlier students held a protest against the university administration for charging exorbitant admission fee for the course which they said was more than private nursing colleges charge.

The students are pursuing the course from the Nursing and Paramedical Institute setup in KU’s south campus. The college was inaugurated in 2018 by the then vice chancellor from a building of distance education.

“It is a constituent college owned by the Kashmir University but the administration is generating revenue for the institutions out of the fee charged from students,” an official said, adding that the varsity administration failed to plead its case before the state government for funding for this college.

Dean academic affairs KU, Prof Musadiq Amin Suhaf said the varsity has constituted a committee to examine the demand of the students for slashing the admission fee for B.Sc Nursing course.

“We have received several representations from students and they also registered their complaint in J&K Governor’s grievance cell,” Suhaf said.

The present fee structure of the college is Rs 77000 which according to students is higher than other courses offered by the university. The B.Sc Nursing course was started in KU’s during 2017.

The fee charged in nursing college of higher education department is half of the amount charged by university.

While KU is charging Rs 77000 for the course, students said the fee charged by SKIMS and GMC is only Rs 10000 and Rs 40000 respectively for the same course.

“The varsity is fleecing the students by charging exorbitant fee,” a student said.

The intake capacity per year for the four-year course is 50 students, which means the varsity is generating annual revenue of Rs 38.5 lakhs out of the fee charged from the students.

“In four years the varsity generates Rs 1.54 crore from the students in this course and a huge amount goes into saving for the varsity,” an official said.